FIM:P Bonus Story: A Christmas Fighting
by Darkryt Orbinautz
Summary: It's Christmas at the Autobot Outpost, and the Ponies are invited! What could possibly go wrong? Cultural differences, in-fighting, embarrassing family secrets and Optimus being a big softie, that's what.
1. Hearth's Warming Cultural Differences

**Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**Darkryt Orbinautz presents...**

* * *

At Autobot Outpost Omega One, Smokescreen and Twilight's friends, thought not Twilight herself due to her bias against humans, and Cadence were visiting, and what coincidence it had been when they did.

Apparently, a holiday called "Christmas" was coming up soon. From the Ponies' perspective, it was apparently a weird, backward-in-typical-human-backwards-way of celebrating a holy figure's birth.

From Ratchet's, it was "A celebrations for corrupt mega-corporations rejoicing in the promotion of materiel greed and the over-consumption of candied treats!"

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle ALLLL the way!" Smokescreen sang off-key.

"Oh what fun it is to ride a one-horse open sleigh!" Miko joined in.

"Wait, horse?" Rarity questioned. "You told me Santa had fabulous creatures called reindeer pull his sleigh!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, that's not how the song goes."

"So the song is about him, but it depicts him using a single horse rather then reindeer?"

"Never mind!" Miko said.

"Maybe we can read poetry instead?" Raf meekly suggested, typing up something on his laptop. "Like Silent Night? You know, Now Dasher, Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On-"

"NOW A VIXEN"S IN THERE TOO!?"

Ratchet put his hand to his headcrest. "It's gonna be a long, long Christmas."

* * *

**Friendship Is Magic: Prime: The Christmas Special**

**Chapter 1: Hearth's Warming Cultural Differences**

**Episode Synopsis: Cultural differences between the Ponies and Humans cause problems for the Autobots' Christmas preparations.**

* * *

Smokescreen's horrifically screeching off-key singing made it particular difficult for anypony to notice Optimus fiddling with presents wrappings in the corners of his blocked fingers.

"Explain it ta' me again." Applejack said. "This ...Olly Mold Jan-"

"Jolly Old Man!"

"Gets a buncha letters from children all over Earth, somehow magical knows who's been good and who's been bad, and on the 24th of every Dec'ember of e'ery year, goes and gives wutever was on the letters to the ones who've been good?"

"Pretty much!" Miko reached over a crate and pulled an plush snowman to put on the bottom branch of the Autobot-sized Christmas tree.

"Ah don't believe it. Why would he do that?"

Miko seemed notiably deflated at Applejack's dismissal. "C'os all the children have been good little boys, duh!"

"If he travel's 'round ta' globe on a sleigh with no Ground or Space Bridge what-in-so-ever, then why isn't he using whatever resources he's done got to solve all yer human's problems?"

"Uh, because that's not his job?" Miko growled.

"So he goes out doling out gifts to all the hooman cubs, but he won't come on over and fix all there political disputes? For such a givin' guy, he sounds kinda selfish."

Miko's jaw dropped in horror. "You-you-you take that back right now! Santa is NOT selfish!"

"Prove to me Ah misjudged sumthun' 'ere, and Ah will take it all back." Applejack assured her.

"You-you-" Miko swung her fist in the air and made to slug at Applejack's muzzle.

Optimus tilted his head up and did his Optimus-thing of ending all the conflict. "Miko, Applejack, your conversation has been completed. Understood?"

Applejack and Miko backed away from each other.

"...Ah still think he's mismanaging his resource-a-meces." Applejack quietly muttered.

Smokescreen, meanwhile, had advance from 'Jingle Bells' to the VASTLY DIFFERENT 'Jingle Bells Rock'. Two totally different songs about similar subjects. Yup.

Cadence flew up around in spirals around the Autobot-sized Christmas tree and examined it's empty branches. "So we put decorations on this thing to mark it as where Santa drops his presents?"

"Uh-huh!"

Cadence cocked her head. "It wouldn't be easier to put the tree outside then?"

Miko narrowed her eyes and gave Cadence a sideways glare, starting to get really irritated at all the questions the ponies were asking about her favorite holiday.

"Jingle bells-"

"SMOKESCREEN, DO YOU KNOW ANY OTHER SONGS!?"

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, tra-la-la-la-la!"

Ratchet signed and tapped his forehead. "That's...a little better...a little."

Optimus jerked his hands, the present wrapping having become matted around them. "Hmm." Pausing to take a breath, or whatever Autobots did that passed as it, Optimus slid his fingers out from the wrapping like a Chinese finger trap, and the wrapping flitted to the ground.

Stepping away from what was apparently a fruitless effort, Optimus picked up some decorations from the boxes Miko and Jack had brought and started adding his own touches to the bare-except-for-the-bottom tree.

Cadence's interest was piqued by the way Optimus did it. He would hold up the ornament of his selection to the tree and stare at the tree for minutes before deciding that was the branch to put it on.

"Hmm..." Cadence mused as the tree bobbed from Optimus' touch. "Hey, Optimus?"

"You have my attention, Your Majesty Mi Amora."

Cadence signed. "Optimus, I told you not to call me that."

Arcee came over and whispered something in Cadence's ear. "Oh. Will that worK?"

Arcee nodded.

Cadence cleared her throat. "Optimus of the Primes, I, as a Princess of Equestria, hereby order to only refer to me as 'Cadence.'"

"As you wish, Your Majesy Mi-" Optimus' optic ticked. Being so causal to royalty did not come easily to the well-mannered Prime. "Your Majesty Cadence."

"Don't you think this...Chirstmas kinda...promotes materialist greed?"

Optimus looked as confused as an Optimus could look. "I do not fully grasp your meaning."

"Well, this...Claus person gives them all presents for their good behavior...isn't that teaching only to be good to get what they want instead of being good for good's sake?"

"That is a matter of perspective." Optimus said, glaring intently at a Cola Pola, er, Polar Bear.

"Hmm." Cadence flew away from the tree and left the room.

Ratchet's shoulder antennae twitched after Cadence was no longer in earshot. Ratchet glared his wiggling part.

"Optimus, my antennae is twitching."

Everypony stared.

Ratchet stared back, not understanding the odd looks. "What? It's like a war wound acting up. It means trouble is bound to happen."

"Trouble?"

* * *

_In Canterlot..._

"Auntie Celestia!" Cadence cried, knocking on the door to Celestia's chambers.

"Come in." Celestia said. She sounded kinda distracted.

Cadence entered and saw her aunt looming over a bunch of papers she couldn't possibly understand herself. Celestia seemed really intent on them as well, to the exclusion of all else.

"Can I protest a human holiday because it teaches human cubs the wrong lessons?"

"Of course, whatever." Celestia said, waving her hoof dismissively.

"Yes! Thank you, auntie~~!" Cadence slipped back out.

Celestia's tore her head away from the papers, apparently only now realizing somepony had been in her room. "Wait, what happened just now?"

* * *

Spike shoved a book back into it's slot on the shelf. Due to the vast interstellar distances between Equestria and Earth, Hearth's Warming Eve, the nearest-thing ponies had to Christmas, wasn't for another few months.

"Twilight, how come didn't you go with everypony else to Earth to learn about Chr-Kri-Cry-"

"Christmas, Spike." Twilight answered. "And I didn't go because it's a human holiday."

Spike rubbed his head. "What's so bad about them again?"

Twilight made a disbelieving noise. "What's so bad about them, Spike, is that they're violent, treacherous, and-and-"

"And?"

"Nothing. The point is, they're violent."

"Violent how?"

"Do you know what a tank is, Spike?"

"Uhh...a huge vehicle with a cannon on top?"

"Uh-huh. The humans have their own tanks, and they have over 30 different varieties of them! Does that not prove to you they're not a species to socialize with!?"

"Rarity seemed really excited when Miko came to Equestria."

Twilight grunted. "That's her decision, Spike. Not mine."

"Also, Shining Armor told you went totally gaga over this 'Cody' guy?"

Twilight grimaced and blushed. "That's- that's totally different! Cody is...special."

"Special how?"

"Just sort out the books, Spike!"

"All right..." Spike muttered and wheeled his ladder over to the next shelf.

* * *

_Back at the Outpost..._

Raf looked up up at the huge robot-sized Christmas tree, then looked away from it shiftily.

Rarity, being the socialite she was, picked up on his uneasiness. "What's wrong, darling?"

"Oh...nothing."

"Surely there's something." Rarity countered. " Or you wouldn't look as unease at the tree as you did."

"You picked up on that, huh? I don't want to talk about it..." Raf made empty gestures on his laptop.

Rarity grabbed the laptop in her magic and levitated it away.

Raf glared daggers at her.

Rarity smiled proudly. "You'll find, Rafael, when I want somepony to tell me something, there is little that will deny me. Now, what's on your mind?"

Raf gestured Rarity to come up onto the platform. Rarity obliged, trotting up the stairway, though she kept the laptop out of Raf's reach.

"My family...doesn't celebrate Christmas."

"Whaaa!? Why ever not!?"

Raf scraped his foot.

'"Wait...wait...don't tell me...they are multiple holidays humans celebrate this time of year?"

Raf nodded.

Rarity scoffed. "What is wrong with your species? Not only does almost everypony on your planet goes nuts trying to make this 'Christmas' happen, but then some of them don't even bother!?"

"What's up?" Miko questioned.

"Rafael's family doesn't celebrate Christmas!" Rarity exclaimed, not paying enough attention to Raf's body language that this wasn't something he wanted everyone to know.

"Whaaat!?" Miko exclaimed.

"That is exactly what I said!"

"Girls, it's fine." Raf assured them, trying to keep the peace. "I mean, just because everyone at school celebrates it and I have no idea what's it like..."

"Raf, do you have ANY idea what you've been missing out on?" Miko demanded. "Waking up the smell of cookies in the morning, leaving milk out for Santa on the stove, and tearing into a present with your bare hands!"

"It's fine!" Raf said, feeling pressured. Raf didn't do good with pressure like Jack and Miko do.

"No, it's not, come here!" Miko came up behind Raf and picked him up, then brought him over to Rainbow Dash and plopped him on her back. "Dash, pick a ornament out of the box and have Raf put it on the tree!"

Dash saluted and followed Miko's instructions, but her flying made Raf panic and clutch to her sides painfully. "Ow! Watch those fingers, Window-Eyes!"

"I never agreed to this!" Raf reminded them in a yelp.

"Is it really a'ight to force tha' poor lad into partakin' in the event like this?" Applejack started to wonder.

"What's going on?" Smokescreen questioned, drawn in by the commotion.

"Oh, we're just getting into a philosophical debate!" Pinkie assured him.

"Hmm...Hey, Doc? Think you can lend a servo here?"

Ratchet held his hand out, not even bothering to look away from the computer monitors. "I am not getting involved."

"Eeeh...well..." Smokescreen said at Ratchet's dismissal, "What's the debate exactly?"

"Applejack doesn't think we should force Raf to celebrate Christmas!" Miko explained.

"Uh, well...we shouldn't." Smokescreen said. "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, or, uh...something like that."

Miko stomped her foot. "But he deserves to know!"

"I disagree..." Fluttershy mumbled. "You, uh, you shouldn't force somepony to do something they didn't agree to..."

"But, presents! Fluttershy!" Pinkie said. "Presents!"

"Be quiet, Fluttershy!" Miko snapped.

Fluttershy whimpered and put her hooves in front of her face.

"HEY!" Dash yelled. "No pony talks to Fluttershy like that!"

"Well, I just did!" Miko snapped.

Dash snarled. Smokescreen tried to keep the peace as everything went to Tartarus' Pit.

"I will talk to whoever, however I want to talk to them!"

"That's it! Put 'em up, Miko! Come on!"

"Organics, organics, can't we all just get along!?"

Pinkie made incoherent Pinkie-typical noises while Fluttershy ran under the Autbot tree.

"Y'all shouldn'a force yer holiday on a lad jus' cause y'all think they should experience it!"

Rainbow Dash barreled toward Miko, who ducked, though Raf's constant clinging to Dash's side made Miko's evasive maneuver unnecessary. Dash growled, turned around and did again, once again missing, but this time hitting the Autobot tree.

Fluttershy quickly ran out from the tree as it toppled over, spilling it's ornaments off itself and sending them rolling over the room.

Everypony got into a disagreement over to who was at fault, even though Rainbow Dash had been the one to hit it.

It was rendered moot by the sound of a gold metal smashing into one of the runaway ornaments, causing it to shatter.

Everypony looked up to see Celestia, Twilight, Spike, and Optimus over at the other end of the room. Optimus seemed disappointed, Celestia mad, and Twilight proud of herself, the ornament Celestia broke rested in shards under her horseshoe.

"Ha! See! I was right! No good can come of human celebrations!" Twilight boasted.

"I am very disappointed in all of you." Celestia informed them, causing them all to fidget nervously and mutter weak excuses. "When Optimus Prime came into Canterlot via Space Bridge to invite me and a very unwilling Twilight to see what this 'Christmas' entails, I was expecting to find cookies, decorations, singing and kissing under the mis-miiss-whatever the plant was! NOT fighting, disagreement, and CARNAGE!"

Celestia lifted her hoof up, magically fused the ornament back together, and levitated it into Miko's hands.

"I want you ALL to think about what you've done while you're repairing Optimus' tree." Celestia said coldly before turning and departing.

"I tried to control it-!" Smokescreen said weakly.

"See why I didn't getting involved now?" Ratchet questioned smugly, smirking. "I had nothing to do with any of this."

"You could have done something to prevent it." Optimus said, which kinda made Ratchet look bad. The Prime gave one last solemn look at his guests and then left with Celestia.

"See what humans wreak, Spike?" Twilight questioned, unaware that her friends were as equally responsible for the problem as Miko was.

* * *

Outside the Autobot base, covered in snow and ice, Celestia and Optimus walked out from one scene of destruction and into another.

"What...in the Pit...is going on here!?" Optimus demanded, every one of his moral sensibilities offended down to the last detail at the sight before him.

Cadence was standing on a makeshift stage, levitating a megaphone to her nuzzle, a bunch of humans gathered around the stage as she spoke out against 'the evils of gift-giving.' Thankfully, the few humans there seemed more bemused by her speech then anything.

"You're tradition is morally corrupt!" Cadence explained. "It teaches children to be good for what they want rather then being good for good's sake!"

"PRINCESS MI AMORA CADENZA!"

Cadence's eyes widened at the sound of Optimus screaming her full name.

"What...are you..._doing_!?" Optimus demanded as he and Celestia approached.

Cadence flitted her wing. "I- I just was speaking my mind! Celestia said I could!"

"I did?"

"Yeah...! In your room? With the papers?"

Celestia squinted, deep in thought. "Oh, Cadence! Those papers were legal documents! I was so intent on them I couldn't think about anything else! Whatever it is I told you, I revoke."

"Okaaay..." Cadence admitted without any fight and stepped off her stage.

Celestia looked up at Optimus. "I must say, Optimus, I've never seen you so worked up."

Optimus looked away. "True... The humans have a tradition, Your Majesty, and no one- or pony has the right to alter that tradition because of a difference in perspective. Additionally, I feel very senstive for Christmas, as it seems to have a way of weaving itself into my Spark..."

"I...think I understand." Celestia said, looking up as snow began falling again.

* * *

Ratchet did his best to ignore everypony as they rebuilt the tree while he looked over his computers. A _beep-beeep_ came from them. He furrowed his gaze at it, and was perplexed.

"Something wrong, doc?" Smokescreen questioned as he futilely attempted to bend a branch back into a straight shape.

"Yes." Ratchet answered briskly. "We've received an S.O.S signal..."

"Frooom?"

Ratchet turned around and glared at Smokescreen with a deadly seriousness.

"Santa Claus."

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'Hearth's Warming Cultural Differences' **

**Well, there ya go, readers. **

**A Christmas Special. **

**And as it IS a 'Special' I feel no need to justify anything here, like Smokesceen's presence or how Cadence can just get a bunch of humans around here without causing a panic... but I did have another story intended to come out before this one, that...didn't. It's Christmas, so this came first! **

**I wasn't sure I'd DO a Christmas special. See, my stories are entirely dictated by my IDEAS, and I didn't think I'd come up with an idea for a Christmas special...  
**

**Annnd then I did.  
**


	2. The Source of Corruption!

**Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**Darkryt Orbinautz presents...**

* * *

It was a bit hard to swallow that (a) Santa Claus was contacting someone (b) that that someone was the Autobot base and (c) that it was a distress signal for help.

"How are we even supposed to get to the North Pole!?" Ratchet demanded of nopony in particular.

"Allow me." Optimus volunteered. He stepped forward to the GroundBridge control and punched in some coordinates. Ratchet eyed them suspiciously.

"Optimus...these coordinates won't work with the Bridge's computer systems."

Optimus pulled the lever, ignoring him. "Autobots, prepare to embark on an expedition to the North Pole!"

Team Prime and the ponies all rushed through the Bridge.

Cadence, and her husband, Shining Armor, who the Autobots had gone to get in light of Santa's S.O.S call, stayed where they were in the base.

Applejack poked her head back out of the Bridge. "What's lagging' y'alls' tailpipes?"

"He said Autobots!" Shining exclaimed. "Me and Cadence aren't Autobots!"

Rarity joined Applejack's, a pair of mares' heads poked out from the GroundBridge. "Shining, while on Earth, for the purpose of any command, ponies are considered Autobots. Understand?"

"Uh, no. But okay."

Shining Armor and Cadence stepped through the Bridge.

Miko, Jack, and Raf observed that they had been left behind.

"I want to see Santa too!" Miko complained.

Jack made a crack. "After what happened with the tree? Miko, you really think the Autobots would trust with seeing SANTA after that!?"

Miko put her finger to lip. "No...so I'll just have to go without them letting me!"

Miko dashed through.

"...You think we should go after her?" Raf asked meekly.

"And get into trouble ourselves!? No thank you!"

* * *

Miko was expecting the North Pole to be, well, cold as the Arctic, but it was actually really warm. Comfortable warm. Like spring.

"MIKO!" Bulkhead shouted, having turned around at her footsteps. "What are you doing here!?"

"I wanted to see Santa too!"

"Miko, this is a mission. Not a tea party!" Bulkhead explained as the rest of the Expanded Team Prime came back around. "There could be dangers here!"

To perfectly illustrate Bulkhead's point, the Autobots suddenly came under fire. Whatever was being shot at them was actually fairly weak, so it was more annoying then anything, but still annoying.

"I thought we were here to help someone?" Ratchet grumbled.

"You are!" A deep, jovial voice shouted at them. "Over here!"

Off to the side and to the distance, there was could be Santa Claus, Missus Claus, and some elves hiding behind a huge gingerbread cover wall. Team Prime and Co. quickly went over there.

"Is that real gingerbread!?" Miko and Pinkie both asked.

Santa seemed a bit offended. "Of course it's real gingerbread! What do you take me for, a soulless mega-corp?"

"Excuse me, Mister Claus..." Shining said. "But you sent out an S.O.S signal, and I can't find anything wrong." Another one of the pellets that had been fired at them smacked Shining's ear. "Pellets aside..."

Santa pointed out from behind the cover.

Shining Armor and the others poked their heads out to see what must have been Santa's factory. The front door opened, and a forklift made of out of gingerbread and candy canes rolled out.

"I still don't see anything wrong..."

The forklift unfolded black legs out from it's front, then another pair out from it's back. The gingerbread and candy canes shifted like a shell as the forklift converted into a Dark Energon Spawn built like a Decepticon Marauder Tank.

Santa raised a brow at Shining.

"Do you see what's wrong now?"

* * *

**Friendship Is Magic: Prime: The Christmas Special**

**Chapter 2: The Source of Corruption!**

**Episode Synopsis: Santa's factory has been corrupted by Dark Energon!**

**...How'd that happen?**

* * *

June was pouring herself a cup of eggnog while Jack was out...when she heard a rather powerfully-sounding knock from her door. She opened to see Princess Celestia, just standing outside the door to her house.

"Your Majesty!" June yelped in surprise. "You should've me you were visiting! I would've prepared something for you!"

"Please, dispense with the formalities, June." Celestia requested. "I've come here for informal reasons."

"Yeah, yeah, sure...meaning what, exactly?" June questioned as she moved to let Celestia inside.

"I found Twilight's friends and Miko feuding inside the Autobot base. It upset me, and I was hoping you'd have something to clear my head."

June rubbed her chin, pondering. Her eye drifted back to the table and what she was doing before the Princess appeared.

June got an awful idea. "I have just the thing." she said, snapping her fingers. She walked Celestia over to the table and presented her carton. "Eggnog!"

Celestia leered at the carton's labeling. "I do not understand. What is a Nog? And why are we drinking it's eggs?"

June sighed. "This is gonna take some explaining..."

* * *

_Back at Santa's factory..._

"Santa Claus, " Optimus said, "how is it that your facility was corrupted by Dark Energon?" Optimus was particular concerned that this may have happened due to an intentional use of the violet substance...

One of the elves spoke up.

"We were digging around to get some crystals for a little girl's Christmas list, we found this neat little purple cluster. Somehow, it got tipped over into the furnace we use to power the factory, and well...I think you can see for yourself." The elf gestured to the Maruader/Spawn.

Optimus rose up from the gingerbread cover and stared down the Spawn. He drew up his faceplate, reaching behind his back to pull out his huge orange axe.

"Autobots, bring the rain!"

Optimus charged forward, blade raised, and vivisected the machine.

"My axe has unique Dark Energon-purging properties." Optimus said. "If we can get into the furnace, I can use my axe to purge the facility."

"Please don't destroy any more of my machines then you have to, Optimus!" Santa added.

Optimus nodded, and hand-motioned for his team to move in on the factory. Applejack had to double back around to pull Pinkie away from the gingerbread cover that she was nomming on. Rarity also had to remind Shining of the 'considered Autobots' rule.

"Sooo..." Miko drawled as the last visages of tails and wheels disappeared. "How did you know how to get the Autobots' attention!?"

Santa chuckled. "Well, I was out during my normal runs on Christmas Eve when a storm knocked one of my reindeer out of my sleigh."

Miko gasped.

"I couldn't go back for him and still make the whole Christmas trip, so I had to leave him behind."

Miko put her hands on her mouth in horror.

"When I was all done and came back, I was expected him to have frozen into a deer-sicle...but instead, I found a strange red truck keeping him warm inside his trailer. I could tell something was strange about it, and when I thanked 'it', it said I was welcome!"

Miko was overwhelmed as the implications became clear. "Ah-buh- ah-fuu...that- does that mean you're like, BFF's with Optimus!? Optimus broke cover for you!?" That was particularly, as this couldn't have happened before the New York Decepticon Massacre that unanimously revealed the Autobots existence.

"Well, what I can say? I looked into his headlights, and we could tell we could trust the other."

"Wow." Miko said breathlessly. "Hey, can I ask you a question?...Another question?"

"Of course, young one. What do you wish to know?"

"How do you travel all the way around the world in one night? Do you, like, have your own GroundBridge?"

Santa chuckled. "Well, I don't have to stop at every house. Not everyone celebrates Christmas...as you should know."

Miko was incredulous at Santa's pseudo-omnipotence.

"I'd say you someone an apology." Santa said mysteriously.

"Yeah... I guess I do..." Miko muttered.

* * *

Bulkhead and Bumblebee took point in storming Santa's factory, despite Smokescreen's and Shining's eagerness to attack attack attack.

"Hi-yah!" Bulkhead karate-chopped the door open. The factory and it's doors were large to house the Autobots inside.

"Autobots, refrain from using your blasters." Optimus instructed. "Santa cannot afford for us to damage his machinery."

Smokescreen groaned.

Cautiously making their way inside, the Autobots lighting their headlights and unicorns, their horns, the Autobots and Co. didn't notice any anomalies that would've resulted from Dark Energon infusion.

"I don't see anything." Shining remarked.

"That doesn't mean anything." Arcee retorted.

More forklift Spawn's jumped in front of them, surrounding them. Optimus slammed his ax into the ground, sending a huge crimson sphere energy at them, reverting them back to their normal non-death machine forklift selves.

Dark Energon spires sprouted out, revealing the location of some control panels that the elves must have used.

"Smokescreen, Rainbow Dash, scout ahead and see if you can locate the furnace."

"On it!" Smokescreen and Dash headed out into the depths of the factory.

The Autobots waited there for their scouts to return...

"Ehh, you all right there, Dash?" Applejack questioned into the dimly-light hall.

"Yeah, we're fine-"

Smokescreen and Dash came bounding back into view.

"GINGERBREAD MEN!"

"BIG ONES!"

Rarity was dismissive. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Gingerbread giants big to stand head-to-head with Bulkhead and Optimus armed with huge candy cane axes stomped out behind Smokescreen.

"It would appear that the Dark Energon has infected the ovens..." Ratchet noted.

"Autobots, do not be afraid!" Optimus ordered. "They are but pastries."

Optimus lunged forward with his ax raised, but the gingerbread giant countered with his own ax and blocked it. Then it swung at him and sent him to the ground right in front of the ponies.

"...Y'all were sayin', Optimus?"

"I may have underestimated the average strength of an animate huge gingerbread man." Optimus admitted.

More forklift-Spawn started swarming into view, and some manipulator arms held up some staple guns and other tools for putting toys together that would hurt if misused. And nutcrackers with working guns. (Those were probably the things that had been pelleting them when they arrived at the Pole.)

"Autobots, fall back!"

"We're running away?" Shining questioned.

A few pellets banged into his skull. That changed his mind.

"We're running away."

They ran away. Away from the bad gingerbread men, Dark Energon Spawn of the Pit, and the FREAKIN' NUTCRACKERS, MAN!

"We need an alternative course of action." Optimus said once they were a safe distance away.

"One that'll disable the defenses without destroying Santa's equipment..." Ratchet added.

Shining raised his hoof. "I have one."

Everypony looked at him.

"We get Twiley to use symbiosis on the forklifts and make them attack the gingerbread men."

Everypony looked at each other.

"It could work..." Ratchet murmured.

"But Twi' said she had no interest in an human holiday! Why would she just up and change her mind to save it!?" Applejack exclaimed.

"We'll just have to convince her!" Shining said confidently.

* * *

At Twilight's library, Shining Armor was reasonably confident he could convince his little sister to come and help save Santa's factory- and by extension, Christmas Day. Surely, she'd get over her whole anti-human thing when she heard about how all the human foals' dreams would be crushed when there wasn't anything under the Christmas tree- not even coal in the stocking.

So he was understandably disappointed with himself when the answer he got was a quiet, stoic, totally unmoved by the tale of potential woes of human cubs-

"No."

Shining's jaw dropped. "But Twiley!"

"I don't care, Shining. The humans' holiday experience means nothing to me."

"Twiley, how can you be so- so heartless!?"

"How can I be so heartless? My closet humans allies were a bunch of self-serving jerks, one of the Autobots' humans KILLED me-"

"She apologized for that!"

"So!? 'I'm sorry' doesn't make me care. Do you need anything else before I shut the door, B.B.F.F.F?"

Shining sighed. "No."

Twilight closed the door.

* * *

"Well, that was a bust." Smokescreen said as Shining finished his recounting of how well his plan had gone.

"I can't wrap my head around why she doesn't like them so much." Shining muttered.

"Shining Armor..." Rarity said. "You've met Agent Fowler, yes?"

"Yes."

"And you've met General Madison."

Shining's eyes widened. "Oh yeah...that guy was a lunatic."

"Consider Twilight has been face-to-face with Madison, but hasn't even had a phone call with Fowler."

"Oh."

"Maybe we could ask the Princess to just TELL Twilight to do it?"

"...That might work. Where is the Princess?"

* * *

Jack went inside his house without knocking. Why would he? It was his house. Why should he have to knock?

Well, for one thing, it would given him some warning and the chance to prep for what he saw.

"M-mom!? What are you and the Princess doing!?"

June was riding on Celestia's back while Celestia ran around in childish circles, both ladies wearing party hats and sloshing their eggnog-filled cups around. June's eyes were glowing the gold of Celestia's magic, like the latter had put the former in a trance.

"Celestia's taking me to Candyland!" June 'explained.'

Jack noticed the open carton of eggnog on the table.

"...Mom, do you introduce Celestia to eggnog?"

June hiccuped, wobbled on Celestia's back, and giggled. "Hehe.,..maybe! Come join us, Jackie!"

"...Yeah, maybe in a minute." (Jack was actually quite certain he didn't want to join them.) "I need to make a phone call."

* * *

Optimus responded to the ringtone in the side of his head. He knew it was Jack. He had a specific ringtone for Jack.

"What is it, Jack?"

_*Pfffftz Pfftz Pfffffzzzzzz Mememememem...*_

"I see..." Optimus hung up and addressed his troops. "Jack has located the Princess."

The Ponies looked at him expectantly.

"...And?"

"And she has been...incapacitated."

The ponies kept looking.

Optimus sighed and called Jack again and put him on speaker phone. "Jack, tell the Ponies what you have told me."

"_My mom got Celestia drunk._"

"That's not surprising." Cadence said. "Auntie Celestia never did hold her liquor well..."

"Regardless, we must develop a solution for Santa's factory." Optimus said, pressing on, ignoring that one of, if not, the most well-respected authority figures in Equestria was totally slammed.

"Perhaps...if we could make Twilight Sparkle see the problem from the human's perspective." Ratchet said. "Perhaps we could get someone to get her to really understand what it means for her to not help us."

Everypony exchanged glances.

"What, you mean like Abraham Lincoln?" Pinkie suggested.

"Pinkie, Abraham Lincoln's been dead for decades!...And how do you know who he is!?"

Pinkie produced the crystal ball and hat of her Madame Pinkie outfit. "You say he's dead like it's a problem." She began making spoooky, more Halloween-style gestures at the crystal ball.

Ratchet shook his head. "I mean, who is the one human Twilight will stop to listen to?"

"...Agent Fowler?"

"CODY!"

"Ooooooooh!"

"...I still don't get it."

* * *

Chief Burns was a little...disgruntled at being told his youngest was the key to saving Christmas for the whole world out of the blue by Optimus Prime.

But he understood.

At least he thought he did. Send Cody to Equestria. Have him to talk to Twilight. Save Christmas.

Something along those lines...

* * *

Twilight levitated one book from another, still a little irritated at having been asked- by her own BBFFF, no less- to do something for the humans. She heard muttering on the other side of the library door.

"But what if-"

"No buts. Just talk to her, kid. You'll be fine."

"But- Shining, come baack!"

Twilight recognized that whine... abandoning her books, Twilight scurried over the door with a haste that caught Spike's attention.

Twilight pulled her door open to see Cody Burns, clad in his jacket he was always wearing.

"Cody! Hi!" Twilight greeted enthusiastically, pulling Cody inside against his will with her magic. "What brings you all the way to Equestria?"

"I wanted to talk to you...about saving Christmas?"

Twilight's enthusiasm bubble was burst-ed a little bit. "Oh, Cody! Did those nasty Autobots put you up to this?"

"Nasty Autobots..?" Spike wondered aloud. "You really are gaga for this Cody guy!"

"Hey!" Cody protested, but he stopped when he saw Spike. "What the heck is that!?"

"That's Spike. He's my assistant."

"Twilight, I have seen spikes, and I have seen assistants. But I have never seen either that looks like that!"

Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin, wondering what the problem was. "OH! He's also a baby dragon."

Cody looked at Spike with interest. Spike looked back with the same. Spike felt particularly...powerful that even though he was a baby dragon, he was still bigger then Cody was.

"Yeah, I can see that." Cody shrugged, fear totally forgotten at knowing what Spike was. (The unknown was infinitely more scary then dragons.) "But yeah, apparently you can save Christmas if you use your Dark Energon?...And don't tell me you don't want to, because I know you don't have any problem with that!"

Twilight shook her head. "So? Why should I save the humans' holiday?"

Cody paused. "You shouldn't, so don't. Save mine."

Twilight became interested. "...Go on."

Cody took in a deep breath and put his hands together. "Everyone stays at home during Christmas, so there's no accidents or emergencies. It's one of the few times of year I can spend time with my family without something happening to send them all sprawling out of town."

Twilight frowned, sad to hear that the only human she considered a valid sentient being could only get quality family time under such conditions. "I'm...I'm sorry to hear that."

"And...this would be the first Christmas I'd have with the Rescue Bots." Cody added. "But...if you don't want to, I guess that's okay..."

Cody turned around and walked out of the library, closing the door behind him.

Shining popped out of the bush he was hiding in. "How'd it go?"

Cody shook his head. "I don't think I got through to her..."

Both of them were alerted to the slow, creeping squeak of the library door as it was softly tugged open.

"I'll do it."

"Great!" Shining exclaimed. "Knew you'd come around, Twiley."

"Mh-hmm! ...what I am doing again, exactly?"

* * *

The Autobots GroundBridged outside of the factory door, tires up to the maximum spin to tread through the ice.

Twilight hopped out of Optimus' cab, Unicronian wings in full view and unfurling like knives as she flew into the factory's ajar doors.

Inside the building, Twilight took up an imperious stance, the various defenses of the Dark Energon having yet to move from their places.

Purples radio rings emitted from Twilight's horn as she put her magic and Dark Energon connection together in one. The mutant forklifts wobbled and jerked slightly, not willing to submit to Twilight's will so easily, but they did. The bestial things jumped off their perches and began swarming the gingerbread giants like horde of wolves.

"The path is clear, guys!"

Optimus, Bulkhead, Cadence, Rarity, Shining and Smokescreen charged in. With Twilight in control of the machines, they had no time navigating their way to find the furnace and the source of corruption.

The unicorns powered up their horns and prepared to put their magic together to blast a purifying spell into the furnace while Optimus charged his ax.

Opening the furnace doors, Optimus slammed his ax into the Dark Energon cluster that was burning inside. Red energies blasted out from the ax, shattering the cluster. Cadence, Shining and Rarity let loose the spell they'd been charging, straight into the furnace hearts. The resulting energies blasted out a shockwave of blue/pink/different shade of blue that blasted apart the corrupt gingerbread and made the forklifts go back to their normal selves.

A hand nervously grasped the corner of the factory door. Mrs. Claus poked her head in.

"I saw the shockwave...thing from outside. Did you save the factory?"

Optimus turned to answer her, but he didn't need to, as the lights in the factory suddenly coming alive said enough.

"Oh!" Mrs. Claus exclaimed. "You did it! You saved the factory- and Christmas with it!"

Santa and the elves slowly start filling back inside their home.

"Optimus..." Santa said, "if there's anything I can do to repay all of you..."

Rarity got a devious gleam in her eye. "Could we perchance talk to your reindeer?" (She, of course, wanted to flirt with them.)

Optimus raised his hand. "There is no need for any reward, Santa Claus. All I ask is that you continue your day job."

Santa chuckled. "Well, at least me reward you with _something_. How about some Christmas wishes?"

* * *

_...And on the dawn of Christmas Day in the Autobot base..._

Miko was walking a blindfolded Raf into the main room.

"Miko..." Raf said like he thought Miko was going to throw him into a death-trap with lots of painful spinning metal thingies.

"Okay, Raf, you can take your blindfold off now."

Raf whimpered, still fearful, and pulled the the blindfold off and put his glasses on. Raf was confused at the sight he saw.

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were all standing around a table with a fully-lit menorah on it and some dreidiels on their sides.

"I'm sorry I tried to like, force you into celebrating Christmas." Miko apologized, rubbing her arm.

"And we're sorry we didn't handle the whole ordeal as well we coulda." Applejack said.

"For forcing you to talk..." Rarity muttered.

"For taking Miko's side when you were obviously uncomfortable..." Dash added.

"For being Pinkie..." Pinkie said in a state of self-awareness.

"...Wow." Raf's eyes got a little misty. "Thank you, girls...this-this means so much."

Miko got down and Rarity came to give Raf a big group hug.

"But, uh, my family doesn't celebrate Hanukkah either."

Miko's eyes widened. Throwing her hand to the air in fury, she screamed. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"

"Hey..." Raf said quietly. "It's the thought that counts."

Miko glared, then gave up and chuckled. "It's the thought that counts." Miko ruffled Raf's hair.

Pinkie started playing with the dreidels in hilarious ways, that, while fun-looking, was not how dreidels were supposed to be play with.

"Ooooh..." Celestia groaned, stepping into the room with her hoof on her head, Cadence by her side, keeping her upright.

"Did I do anything...untowards whilst in my stupor?" Celestia asked.

"Well, there's this." Cadence produced a photograph and let Celestia see it.

It showed flying in the air and giving Optimus a smooch on the cheek.

Celestia blushed furiously. "Oh my...how did he react?"

"He, uh, started going on about how Primes don't kiss, then shut up when Ratchet told him you were drunk. "

Shining Armor used his muzzle to roll a small Christmas tree up in where the Autobots' destroyed one used to be.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "That hardly seems an appropriate replacement."

"Don't worry. Twiley's going to fix it!"

Twilight approached the tree, eyed it intently, and blasted it with magic. The tree began expanding in size, quickly growing up the size of the old tree. Ornaments magically appeared on it as it grew.

Shining put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I'm glad you changed your mind about celebrating Christmas with us."

"Yeah..." Twilight looked up at her work on the tree, thinking fondly of Cody. "I'm glad I did too."

The tree started growing larger then the Autobots' old one...

"Twilight..." Ratchet said anxiously. "The tree wasn't that big!"

"Oh! Um, well, er..."

* * *

Optimus was outside the base, a cobalt and crimson giant in the building snow, for a moment of quiet contemplation when he heard the sounds of rock and dirt being torn.

Whipping around, he saw the new expanding Christmas tree bursting through the roof of his base.

"I CAN FIX IT!" Twilight yelled so loud Optimus could hear it from inside the base.

Optimus looked up at the tree, still growing. The best intentions, huh?

It was quite thankful that nopony was around, as Optimus was unable to resist the temptation to do something he'd never allowed himself to in front of his troops.

Seeing the destructive results of such well-meaning acts, from somepony-Twilight who had been so resistant to the idea of spending time with the Autobots for the humans' holidays...

And there was Christmas magic in the air, so that might have something to do with it.

Optimus smiled, and...

"Eeuuh heh...ha. Hahaha HAA HAA HAA HAA HAA HAA!"

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Source of Corruption!'**

**This was a quick story, but...it's a Holiday special. What do you expect, a epic storyline that takes three years to finish?**

**Throw me some assurance that I got all the intended feelings in the chapter, would you? You know, it's...heartwarming, right?**

**...I'll see you next time.**


End file.
